#America #Catholic Church Joins #Caritas Internationalis to “Share the Journey” with Immigrants

How do you think American Catholics should be treating illegal immigrants?

Catholic leaders across America are looking forward that the newly announced “Share the Journey” campaign will provide the timely opportunity for parishioners to be more welcoming to migrants and refugees.

In an interview with Catholic News Agency, Bill Canny, executive director of Migration and Refugee Services at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said “It’s an important time to remind ourselves that welcoming the stranger, being a good neighbor, doing whatever we can for the least among us, that this is our duty as Christians, to accept, not reject.”

The international Catholic aid confederation Caritas Internationalis initiated the “Share the Journey” campaign on Sept. 27. On the same day, Pope Francis spoke of the virtue of hope, exhorting the audience to share in the journey of migrants and others, in his weekly Wednesday’s general audience. The pontiff said “We are not afraid to share the trip! We are not afraid! We are not afraid to share hope!”

Caritas Internationalis reportedly launched the “Share the Journey” campaign in response to the record-high number of people being forcefully displaced from their homes around the world. This year, that number is expected to exceed 65 million worldwide. In 2016, there were more than 22 million refugees leaving one country for another.

Through the “Share the Journey” campaign, Catholics are encouraged to make special efforts to have an “encounter” with migrants and refugees, by hearing their stories. The campaign aims to put the Gospel into practice, fulfilling the words of Christ, “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.”

In America, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Caritas organizations like Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Charities USA, are all joining hands to promote the “Share the Journey” campaign as a way for the faithful to pray for migrants and refugees, and make concrete acts to help them. The website for the U.S. campaign is ShareJourney.org.